Expert Industrial Designer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 42 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Fremont, San Mateo, Newark, Redwood City, Livermore.
Also listed as: Technical Designer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $129,994 |
| 25th | $146,143 |
| 50th (median) | $164,286 |
| 75th | $198,973 |
| 90th | $217,128 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $125,000 | $101,774 | $162,200 | 51 |
| FY2021 | $145,000 | $112,424 | $181,975 | 47 |
| FY2022 | $165,000 | $130,000 | $190,000 | 45 |
| FY2023 | $183,000 | $156,500 | $220,036 | 35 |
| FY2024 | $172,500 | $161,586 | $213,275 | 23 |
| FY2025 | $164,286 | $144,110 | $198,058 | 20 |
| FY2026 | $167,200 | $149,680 | $197,675 | 22 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median expert Industrial Designer salary of $164,286 is worth about $142,100 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Commercial and Industrial Designers in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $104,000 in May 2025 (1,250 employed). The H-1B median here is $164,286, 58% higher.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Employers filing at this level
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Lucid Motors | too few | 6 |
| Meta | too few | 5 |
| Salesforce | too few | 2 |
| Dako Resources | too few | 2 |
| DoorDash | too few | 2 |
| Sitemetric | too few | 2 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $73,900 | 14 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $95,000 | 37 |
| Senior · Level III | $168,000 | 21 |
| Expert · Level IV | $164,286 | 42 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $67,434 | $73,900 | 14 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $90,938 | $95,000 | 37 |
| Senior · Level III | $114,442 | $168,000 | 21 |
| Expert · Level IV | $129,771 | $164,286 | 42 |
The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.